Observations focused on the problems of an underdeveloped country, Venezuela, with some serendipity about the world (orchids, techs, science, investments, politics) at large. A famous Venezuelan, Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo, referred to oil as the devil's excrement. For countries, easy wealth appears indeed to be the sure path to failure. Venezuela might be a clear example of that.

Archive for June 16th, 2003

Interesting article by Manuel Malaver over at Luis de Lion’s website. Still trying to figure our whether Malaver is using some literary latitude in his imaging or he has good information. He is a very serious reporter and is typically well informed. Still can’t tell whether this is true:

“Meanwhile, Chavez disguised as a general ready for combat, and from the terrace of a building in La Urbina, as well as surrounded by his revolutionary Chiefs of Staff, by the also General Garcia Ponce, the colonels, Red Devil Vivas, Papi Papi, Dumbell Carreno and the Sparkle commandent, was giving orders with huge binocualrs this way and counter orders the other way, sending ciphered messages that a counteintelligence station managed by General Pogioli was decripting….”

I can just imagine Chavez playing war, it is the only thing he has ever done.

Reportedly, Deputy Liuigi D’Angelo who had refused to vote for the approval of the minutes of the spurious meeting of the National Assembly in El Calvario will vote tomorrow to approve them. There are two possibilities, either Dep. D’Angelo was bought off or he had a brain transplant over the weekend, after all the explanations he gave about his refusal to approve the minutes. We will see. If approved only the Supreme Court can now save the country from being a formal dictatorship.

In my mind, no Venezuelan politician has been more pragmatic and has made used of common sense better than Teodoro Petkoff. Petkoff saved Caldera’s Government from sinking. Unfortunately for him, and for us, oil prices dropped just when things were getting better. Teodoro’s common sense and rationality comes through in today’s Editorial in Tal Cual (by subscription). Some highlights:

“The best demonstration that everything they said (Chavez and Rangel) is false is that while they were both screaming that the organizers were to blame, the event proceeded peacefully, a few blocks away from where the band of thugs destroyed with impunity the police module and was trying to break the police barrier to attack the opposition rally.”

“If these “heroes of the revolution” had not acted, nothing would have happened. Nobody from the rally went over to attack the police or the National Guard. No one went from the rallyto throw tear gas in front of the hospital. Rangel’s argument that it had been suggested to the organizers that the rally take place elsewhere and not near the hospital is cheap cynicism.”

“If the rally had taken place elsewhere there would have been no agression? Why the hell didn’t they suggest to their supporters not to attack the rally? Why didn’t “daddy’s son” who happens to be Mayor of the Municipality and directs the police, control and stop their supporters from going overboard?…What do they pretend, that the Hitlerian thesis of the opposition being confined to the residential areas of the East be accepted? Once again, they have used the argument that raped women are to blame for the rape. According to Rangel and Chavez, the opposition “provokes” the peaceful thugs that support them because they have rallies in “Chavista territory”

“Before anything, Gentlemen, get off that cloud. It has been a while since there has been no “Chavista territory”. Those that acted in Petare are nothing but organized thugs, nothing spontaneous and quite reduced of mercenary activists, and they counted with the passivity, if not complicity of the authorities that are supposed to maintain public order and guarantee the right of the opposition to hold its rally. “

“What is making both Rangel and Chavez nervous is that there is an opposition that makes an effort of acting within democratic territory and separates itself from the coupsters.”

Well said, particularly the part about the RIGHTS of the opposition, which the Government seems to think don’t exist.

In my mind, no Venezuelan politician has been more pragmatic and has made used of common sense better than Teodoro Petkoff. Petkoff saved Caldera’s Government from sinking. Unfortunately for him, and for us, oil prices dropped just when things were getting better. Teodoro’s common sense and rationality comes through in today’s Editorial in Tal Cual (by subscription). Some highlights:

“The best demonstration that everything they said (Chavez and Rangel) is false is that while they were both screaming that the organizers were to blame, the event proceeded peacefully, a few blocks away from where the band of thugs destroyed with impunity the police module and was trying to break the police barrier to attack the opposition rally.”

“If these “heroes of the revolution” had not acted, nothing would have happened. Nobody from the rally went over to attack the police or the National Guard. No one went from the rallyto throw tear gas in front of the hospital. Rangel’s argument that it had been suggested to the organizers that the rally take place elsewhere and not near the hospital is cheap cynicism.”

“If the rally had taken place elsewhere there would have been no agression? Why the hell didn’t they suggest to their supporters not to attack the rally? Why didn’t “daddy’s son” who happens to be Mayor of the Municipality and directs the police, control and stop their supporters from going overboard?…What do they pretend, that the Hitlerian thesis of the opposition being confined to the residential areas of the East be accepted? Once again, they have used the argument that raped women are to blame for the rape. According to Rangel and Chavez, the opposition “provokes” the peaceful thugs that support them because they have rallies in “Chavista territory”

“Before anything, Gentlemen, get off that cloud. It has been a while since there has been no “Chavista territory”. Those that acted in Petare are nothing but organized thugs, nothing spontaneous and quite reduced of mercenary activists, and they counted with the passivity, if not complicity of the authorities that are supposed to maintain public order and guarantee the right of the opposition to hold its rally. “

“What is making both Rangel and Chavez nervous is that there is an opposition that makes an effort of acting within democratic territory and separates itself from the coupsters.”

Well said, particularly the part about the RIGHTS of the opposition, which the Government seems to think don’t exist.

Hugo Chavez was his usual Dicatorial self on his Sunday nationwide address, threatening to intervene the police of Caracas as well as that of Miranda state, proving once again thta his concept of separation of powers is flimsy at best. Even funnier, if t were not so grotesque, the President accused the Governor of Miranda State Enrique Mendoza of “having” armored vehicles and he clarified that that was the reason why he had anti-tank missiles surrounding the presidential palace. Chavez’ speech was clearly aimed at one of the biggest leaders of the opposition. Mendoza is the leading candidate in the polls together with Henrique Salas Romer. Chavez’ threat to violate the law, also violates the agreement signed between the Government and the opposition in May, but what else is new? Separately the Mayor of the Metropolitan area said Cahvez’ threat was absurd, after all the military intervention of his police has never ceased.